We recently connected with Katey Hicks and have shared our conversation below.

Katey, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Are you able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen?

Do you ever just find yourself waking up one day wondering “how did I get so lucky?”. As cliche as it sounds – that’s how I feel about where I am at in my career. I am, what I like to call myself, a one-woman-powerhouse! I own KT Social Media + Marketing, a small business that helps other small business have an online presence, in edition to being a full time content creator. Both of these accomplishments are recent for me!

In March of 2022, I signed my first social media client – a hair salon in my husband’s hometown. While I no longer represent that client, it was that opportunity that lead me into the Social Media field and then to content creation. Through the power of networking, I signed a few more clients and had enough of a roster to file as an official business! KT Social Media + Marketing houses my work with other clients as well as my content creation. Between both facets, my success feels like it flourished overnight – even though it has taken a lot of hard work.

I didn’t start truly doing content creation for myself until November of 2023 and now, a year later, I am working consistently with repeat clients and have turned a passion into a business.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My name is Katey and, up until a year ago, I went through life without ever really having a passion for anything (besides reading). I’ve always been the kind of person to try new things, but I never stuck with them. Planning for a career was also something I just sort of let happen. I received my degree in Creative Writing knowing that writing was another thing I enjoyed and could see myself doing for the rest of life.

After getting my degree, it took nearly 10 years to really find the right way to use it, and that is through Social Media. I am a proud Millennial, someone who grew up with the cell phone and the transition of modern technology. Ironically, I used to say that I repelled technology and now I am writing code and creating websites. I grew up on secretly on Myspace (RIP) and Facebook because my mom didn’t approve of them, and now I use Instagram and TikTok as a creative outlet.

Looking back, it’s really not that surprising that I ended up starting a business that focuses on social media and content creation. For those who are just meeting me, I own KT Social Media + Marketing. I started my one woman company to help give small business an online presence. I have a wide range of clients from a winery, wedding venue, HVAC company, med spa, and more! I do everything from website design, social media posting, influencer outreach, and content creation (to name a few!)

I truly feel like I lucked into my business. I saw a job posting for a hair salon from my husband’s hometown that was looking for someone to manage their social media accounts and now almost three years later, I turned that into my own business. It took two years of working for someone else before I felt confident enough to take the plunge and become my own boss and work with other clients and not for them!

For content creation, I tend to stick more towards fashion, beauty, hair, and some lifestyle. I create videos for brands to use for their marketing as well as commission posting for myself on Instagram, TikTok, SubStack, and Pinterest. I am linked up with LTK and ShopMy which are essentially video version of what’s in my house (or closet). I use these as a way to link my favorites and as a way to make a small commission on purchases.

I’m not a very confident person and working in social media, especially content creation, has been an internal struggle. I over-critique and overanalyze most of what I post – this is something I will always have to work on. I’m probably the most proud about how much my confidence has grown over these past few years.

For prospective clients or brands that want to work together, know that the timid girl I was a year ago or even the teenage me who broke every phone they ever had, please allow me to reintroduce myself. My name is Katey and I make my living over posting potentially cringey videos on the internet and by helping small businesses find their online voice!

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The most rewarding part of my job is the flexibility it gives me. I am a mom and someone who needs personal time to survive! Being a business owner means working 24/7, but it also means I can set my own schedule too. Every Friday I take a personal day because I almost always end up working over the weekend. My son is in daycare, my husband is working, and I can just rot on the couch and breathe for a few hours. It really is all about the balance and with my role(s), I can better balance work demands with family demands.

Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

NETWORKING – more so putting yourself out there and finding a likeminded community! Get out there and meet people face to face. If you can sell your personality, then you can sign a client! Your nearest bigger town most likely has a group of similar people that you could meet for coffee, etc. If not, then utilize places like Facebook Groups or even LinkedIn.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.ktcreations.org/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kateymhicks/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kateyhicks/
• Other: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@kateymhicks

Image Credits

Katey